Elemental Wars
by Teenaged Assassin
Summary: The girls are transported to Urak, a world of eight magical faiths. The land is desperate because of the war. Each girl is with her own region and can help, but everything falls apart when Cornelia joins the unspeakable... Writing with Fatal Fable
1. Prologue

Elemental Wars

Summary: The girls are transported to Urak, a world of eight magical faiths. Each one is with her own region. But with Cornelia with Earth, the alliance of Death, will it cause to her become evil? W.I.T.C.H.x Lords of Magic crossover

Prologue of \ul Elemental Wars

"Where's Cornelia?" Will Vandom said frantically. She was gathered with her friends, Irma Lair, Taranee Cook and Hay Lin in an alleyway between a joke-shop and a Caf\'e8 Italiano. "Relax, Will," Irma soothed. "Cornelia's running late. She went to take Lillian to ballet classes. If that's okay with _you."_

"This is very important, Irma. And just because I'm the leader, you don't have to ask me to do things. It's okay if Cornelia takes her sister to ballet, but asking me \i to\i0 do it? I don't think so," Will scoffed at her friend.

"What did you want to talk about anyways?" Hay Lin inquired. Will sighed. "Fine. It's a portal. But not to Metamoor or Candracar. It's gray. And it's like a rock-formation, sort of. I think it's sort of like a sign."

"I'm here!" came Cornelia's voice. The girls looked to see their blonde friend running down the alleyway towards them. She was frantically panting, but then she recovered her breath. "I hope _Irma_ explained why I was late. My mom wasn't home, so I had to."

"It's okay," Will smiled. Then she turned to Taranee. "Taranee? Can you take guard so nobody sees that we're changing into Guardian form?"

"Sure," Taranee said. She looked out the alleyway to see that the coast was clear. "Ok," she whispered.

Will took out the Heart of Candracar, the crystalline pendent that she had inside her. It helped the guardians in many ways.

They were finally in Guardian form. But Will was eager to find the strange portal she encountered.

"Where is it?" Hay Lin asked. "It can't be in this alleyway."

"It is. That's why I called you. I was going to the Joke shop to buy my cousin a birthday present, and I saw it. Cornelia, do you think you can try to open this wall?"

Cornelia looked at Will. "Do you remember the wall in Elyon's basement? I don't think so. It was so tiny, you couldn't see anything. What makes you think I can open a brick wall?"

"The _portal was of rock_. If that portal can open to reaction of powers, I think we can get inside it and find where it leads to."

"But didn't the Oracle close the Veil? Shouldn't there be no portals?" Taranee asked her friend. Will shook her head. "This isn't a Veil portal. It's not the same. I think it's a portal created by magic--not Meridian magic. I think it's been conjured to put something on earth. But I didn't see anything come out."

"Halt! Who goes there in the name of Urak?" A rough voice echoed. The girls turned to see an old man. He was dressed in purple and white, long flowing robes, and a pointy-wizard hat. "My name is Odaric. Who disturbs my only way to get back to Urak?"

"What ever you are doing, you're not going to do it!" Will yelled. The girls all tried their might to destroy the stranger. But he was undefeatedable. "You are no match for Lord Odaric. I am the Lord of Order, a Lord of Magic. I have come to destroy what the evil Lord Balkoth has planned to take over my land. You must be his servants."

"What's he talking about?" Irma asked the girls. but Odaric hollered. "Enough! Seeing you all have different faiths, I will lead you to wear you belong. You must be under the spell of Galgoth, otherwise you wouldn't be attacking me, unless you are my true enemy, Chaotic Barbarians. But therefore, you are stunned!" He cried and the girls fell to the ground. One by one, they disappeared, leaving Odaric to return by the portal Will was talking about.

--My cousin and I are major fans of LOM (Lords of Magic.) This was written by me. The next chapter will be written by Fatal Fable. (My Cousin.) This is just done on my account

-Teenaged Assasin--

P.S. I'm all about Life, my cousin's for Water.


	2. Alone in Atmos

Chapter 1: Alone in Atmos 

Hay Lin slept peacefully in her bed. But _was _it her bed? It didn't feel like it. It felt hard and stiff. She opened her eyes to see she was lying in a crystalline bed. She realized she wasn't where she was supposed to be. She tried hard to remember where she was before.

Howling wind came outside the room. This definitely wasn't Heatherfield. She looked outside the window to see a mountain of snow-covered plains. A large city, she presumed, laid beneath her eyes. It was beautiful.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Came a squirmy voice. Hay Lin turned around to see a light-blue person. Only with _wings_. He was dressed in a light blue robe, and had a cute pudgy face. Indigo hair fell into its eyes.

"Um..._who are you_?"

"I'm Breeze, welcome to the Capital City of Atmos," the faerie said.

Hay-Lin was feeling dizzy –was that really a fairy standing in front of her? The previous day's happenings then came back to her –the portal Will found, Odarin, Lord of Order from Urak.

'I must be in Urak now,' and then a more unsettling thought crossed her mind, 'Where are the others!'

There wasn't anybody else in the room except Breeze. Hay-Lin now noticed the walls were made of ice –but the room temperature was pleasantly warm. On the opposite side of the crystalline 'bed' was a large window –big enough for a person to fall through!

'Yup, definitely Urak.'

While Hay-Lin was scrutinizing the chamber Breeze was inspecting her. 

"You're a strange Storm Sorceress," he said –glancing curtly at her fashionable jeans and trendy spaghetti top.

"She's obviously from the border," a shorter fairy entered the room.

"Ah…this is Harrieta," Breeze gestured at the new fairy –her skin was pale blue and her hair was the brightest purple. Strangely Harrieta's eyes were the same color.

"My name is Hay-Lin," the guardian introduced herself.

"Pleased to meet you," Harrieta said then turned to Breeze, "I'll help the Sorceress –you're needed at one of the crystal mines."

"What's going on there?"

"Renegades," she said with distaste.

Breeze left immediately at the mention of this word –the traitors who would rather abandon their people than fight for what they believe in.

Harrieta now walked to the window –(or more likely, hole in the wall) –and gestured Hay-Lin to follow.

They were so high mist and clouds hid the ground; around the icy summit they were in other peaks reached even higher to the gray sky while the wind was still moaning its melancholic melody.

For the first time Hay-Lin noticed Harrieta's wings, they were translucent and sparkled softly when the light shone on it –almost invisible.

"Well, let's get going," the fairy said, took hold of Hay-Lin's wrist and jumped out of the window. 

For a moment they dipped into the clouds then rose above them again.

The wind rocked Hay-Lin's skinny body from side to side and back to front –she felt as if she was dangling dangerously from the side of a cliff.

But soaring over this fantasy cloud world dotted with crests of ice with the cool air blowing in her face was exhilarating –a more thrilling sight and flight could never be found in Heatherfield.

Harrieta descended again, it seemed to Hay-Lin only seconds ago she was still standing at the edge of the window in the room where she woke up.

The ground was now noticeable; a white blanket of snow covered everything while white, fluffy flakes were being propelled to earth by the ever-present wind.

Behind them was a wall of jagged ice –like teeth –but not rising quite as high is the peaks beyond it.

Not far away from them another shard of ice tried to grasp the clouds and mist above.

"That's the Storm Giant Wizard's Tower," Harrieta said and pointing to a lumpy ice formation added, "and the Library."

She then hovered over the snow and flew slowly enough for Hay-Lin to keep up to the Tower –leaving Hay-Lin to plough through the knee-deep snow.

Before long they reached the Tower and entered. Stalactites and stalagmites dripped hither thither inside and near the frozen roof a bluish white orb hung suspended in the air with a silver thread spiraling around its beamed light. To the left a staircase twirled upwards.

Directly under the spiral light something classified as a 'giant' sat behind a crystalline desk.

It had broad shoulders and a long white beard, a shining metal helmet with a blue cape to top it all off. His skin wasn't pale like Harrieta's but dark blue.

'Do these people _ever_ see sunlight?' the thought just popped up in Hay-Lin's mind.

"This is the Steward of the Tower," Harrieta explained.

"Good day, Iowan," she addressed the Sorcerer.

"What can I do for you two?" the giant asked in a booming voice.

On the glassy desk Harrieta placed twelve crystals, "Mana potion."

Iowan took all the crystals in his large, blue hand, "Wait here for a moment," and walked to the right where he disappeared behind a gray door.

In the silence that followed Hay-Lin asked, "Was there anyone else with me when I got here?"

To reply Harrieta just shook her head, causing the unruly purple hair to bounce.

Hay-Lin's heart sank –she was alone in an icy slash creepy world –she didn't know what to do next.

The greatest question was: 'How do I get back home?' She'll have to go and talk to this Odarin guy –he is, after all, the one responsible for sending her here.

Suddenly she remembered the Lord of Order's words and hope started to glimmer in her mind.

'They _are_ here…they _must_ be here!' She thought excitedly.

So it's not 'alone in Urak'…just 'alone in Atmos'.

This comforted Hay-Lin to know that her friends were in the same world as she even if it would take days to reunite with them again.

Iowan then returned with a small, dark blue bottle; its base was flat and wide and the glass curved up to form the bottleneck, a round light blue, glass stopper was wedged firmly into place. Inside a dark liquid bubbled and fizzed.

Harrieta bided the Storm Sorcerer a good day, and then they left again. As soon as they were back outside Harrieta handed the bottle to Hay-Lin.

"Drink a few drops of this when you're in trouble."

This time, when the fairy hovered over the snow, she gently lifted Hay-Lin to hover too.

They didn't take as long as the previous time to arrive at their new destination –a cave with a wooden door.

"Welcome to my humble home," Harrieta said and opened the door for Hay-Lin to enter.

The cave inside was a lot bigger than it looked like outside, and much more cozier too. To be honest, it didn't look like the interior of a cave at all.

Comfy chairs formed a circle with a little glass table in the middle. Portraits of other faeries braced the smooth walls and at the farthest corner was a bookshelf lined with books. A colorful carpet covered the cold stone floor. Near the roof an orb light also hovered.

"Sit down," Harrieta said and walked to an arch, which led to another room. Hay-Lin could see a white marble counter and a lot of cupboards from the soft chair where she plopped down exhaustedly.

Shortly the fairy returned with a beaker containing a fizzy, golden drink and a dish where four oat cookies rested. Putting everything down on the table in front of Hay-Lin.

"You must be starved," she observed and sat down on the chair opposite of Hay-Lin.

As Hay-Lin started to nibble on the delicious cookie she noticed something: nobody had asked her why she is here…what was her business in Atmos. This question should be essential for stranger in the City if this world was at war.

They _were_ at war with each other…Hay-Lin knew it the instant Harrieta mentioned renegades.

For some reason they called her a 'Storm Sorceress'…a strange one but still a sorceress. Everything in this place reminded her of the element she controlled: Air.

Now that Harrieta was certain her guest was comfortable she started to chat about recently important stuff.

In half an hour Hay-Lin had learned about the eight regions in Urak corresponding to the eight faiths namely: Life and Death, Fire and Water, Chaos and Order and Earth and Air.

She also found out that the Air Region was allied with the Life- and Order Region –"We watch each other's backs."

Suddenly the wooden front door was ripped of its hinges to be replaced by three Dark Halberdiers carrying gruesome looking halberds and dressed entirely in black. They surveyed the inside of the cave until their beady little eyes came to rest on Hay-Lin.

"Get down!" Harrieta screamed, she let fly an arrow from her bow –hitting the closest Halberdier smack in his heart.

Hay-Lin ducked to miss a deadly halberd just in time.

'I'm in trouble, right?' she asked herself while she quickly pulled out the stopper of the dark blue bottle.

Without warning Harrieta screamed again, but in pain –she fell to the floor and remained there in a crumpled heap.

'Right,' a little voice in the girl's head confirmed and she swallowed five drops.

As if things weren't strange enough already –Hay-Lin transformed into a guardian, but the outfit was different: her leggings were now pale blue and white, the skirt was white with pale blue swirls and her mid-drift was Lavender purple and made of the finest silk. All that remained the same was her shoes and wings.

From her hand a white light erupted, it surged its way across the chamber to another bad guy.

Only when the light reached him –he shuddered all over –did Hay-Lin realize this was lightning.

Storm Sorceress? 'Two down only one more to go,' she thought and was about blow the Dark Elf far away from here when a searing pain cut across her left leg. It was unlike any pain she ever felt; slow but persistent as if her flesh was rotting slowly away –it _was_. Now all energy was used to keep her upright from the staggering pain. 

"Make it stop!" was the last thing Hay-Lin mumbled before she lost consciousness.

-------

Disclaimer: My darling cousin and me don't own Lords of Magic by Sierra and Just Play! Games.

x Fatal Fable x


	3. Over in Osh'n

Chapter Two: Over in Osh'n

* * *

Irma felt herself in warm blankets on a soft mattress. She heard seagulls and waves crashing onto the shore. Something wasn't right. Her house was far from the ocean. Unless…

She shot straight up. This wasn't her room. It was sky blue, was completely blank, and had indigo balls hovering in mid-air. The ceiling was a light marble color, and sapphire steps led to the room and to the "downstairs."

"Where am I?" she asked herself. "Where is _this_?"

"This is the main tower of the capital of Osh'n, the water land of Urak. Do you not come from here?" a swift voice answered Irma's outburst. It belonged to a woman, but not an ordinary woman. She had indigo scaly skin, accompanied by ice blue eyes and a flowing toga of periwinkle blue.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience. I am Waveskie. Your name is…?" the woman inquired. "Irma," replied. "I come from Earth." Waveskie looked wide-eyed at Irma.

"The earth region? You're a dwarf?" she asked.

"No, the planet Earth. I'm a human with water powers. I'm a Guardian of the Veil." Irma explained everything to Waveskie.

"I see. Odaric said you were a priestess, a water mage. You are not, as you said," Waveskie announced. "What's a mage?" Irma asked. "Somebody that controls magic and mana. I am one, and so is Lord Oceania."

Irma guessed that _Lord Oceania_ was the ruler of this place.

"Please, let me take you to show you around Osh'n. Then I must test your magic to see if you qualify or not," Waveskie said. She gestured to let Irma come out of the bed. She led the Guardian down the sapphire steps.

Irma looked at the main lobby. It was magnificent. The entire room was periwinkle marble. Bustling 'water believers' came to the people of the main tower. Pictures of past Lords, which were mostly thieves and warriors, which Irma learned, hung on the walls. Waveskie took Irma out of a sapphire door.

But the outside was even more beautiful. It was made of white brick (most of everything was basically white brick) and blue plaster. A lovely white wall with spiral blue watch-towers surrounded the city.

"Come, we must not look at such things. We have work to do."

The two maneuvered to the gate of Osh'n. A tall woman, with the same skin and hair and eyes, looked at Waveskie. "Waveskie, and the Priestess. Ah, are you going to see your sister?"

"No, Stream," the priestess replied. "We are testing this _girl's_ powers." The two left the tall woman, which Waveskie told Irma was Stream, a warrior of Osh'n that was evidently dumb.

Waveskie explained the three (or four) buildings. The prettiest was the Wizard Tower, where the mages were trained. The smaller building of light brown stone was the library, the study of spells. The other two were the Warriors' Barracks, and the Thieves Guild.

"Come, I must take you to the Wizard's Tower," Waveskie pushed Irma. Irma felt as if she was forced to do something.

But inside the Wizard's Tower, it was blankly designed. Waveskie lead Irma to a room that was unoccupied. She guessed it was the place she'd be tested on.

Waveskie closed the door and turned to the Guardian. "Alright, Irma. Show me what you can do with your magic."

Irma gulped. "Um, sure, ok." She let blasts of water fly around universally. She started doing more water tricks, until she felt a blast of water hit her and make her fly straight into the wall.

Waveskie helped Irma up. "I am appallingly sorry. I was thinking of something else. But you extremely good for somebody your age. Most priestesses your age do not seem to take full control over their magic. How old are you, anyways, Irma?" Irma stared into Waveskie's striking eyes. "Um, thirteen." The priestess's eyes widened. "You must have had your magic for a while." Irma nodded. "About seven months."

"Come, let me take you to my house," the priestess lead Irma outside of the Wizard's Tower, where they passed the library, which another small building that seemed awfully homey. Waveskie piloted Irma to the door and let her in. "Please sit in one of the chairs. I'm going to get something." Irma instantly obeyed. She sat in a white armchair and stared at the walls. They were decorated with a strange but unique taste. Waveskie came back which seemed to be a globe, only with more land than water.

"This is Urak," she explained carefully. "We are here," she pointed to an area on the globe, which said "Osh'n." "Everything around us is the other magical faiths," Waveskie continued. "This is Life, Air, Chaos, Earth, Death, Fire, and Order—" she pointed at various spots on the globe.

"You see, Death—" Waveskie turned the sphere to show the Death Region, Deckay, "—Has planned, with its god, Galgoth, to take over Urak. The war is very desperate. There are very few Water warriors, mages, and thieves—most of them are Life. Lord Aurora is very determined to destroy the Galgothians."

Irma nodded. "So, your saying I should help with the war, right?"

"Yes, young one. Lord Odaric of Order has told us you will help."

Irma flashbacked to the fighting with Odaric. It was **him **that sent her here.

"But, I'm barely a warrior, I just control…water. I'm not good at it. **Never** have I been good at it."

Waveskie dropped to the ground, pulling Irma with her. "What?" she asked rudely. Waveskie pointed to the window. A man with a black hood and black skin was outside. "What _is_ it?" Irma inquired.

"An Assassin, one of the thieves of Death. Lord Balkoth sent them to conquer the temples of all the faiths. They have taken ours a long time ago. I had elapsed to mention—Lord Balkoth was tormented and ashamed of himself. He built a tower and locked himself for one hundred years. The God of Death, Galgoth, said he will free Balkoth if Balkoth will serve him as long as he lives."

"Why can't you just fight them?"

"Because Lord Oceania is too scared. And I am too. The Lord of Death has killed thousands of our troops and priestesses. Assassins are terrible…worse than all the thieves, even than the chaotic Lord of Chaos. They kill—that's all they do. They don't try to fight for anything. They want to kill people for pleasure. It's how the Galgothians are. They don't care about anything but themselves. They'll do anything to please themselves. And Balkoth will do anything to please Galgoth. But Galgoth is using him. He is Galgoth's eyes and ears, mouth and feet. He is a loyal servant to the wretched god of death, and he is just doing it to get what he lost," Waveskie whispered.

"That's why you need to fight. Before you know, the enemy will move into your places! You'll be living off the streets, while the enemy lives in opulence!"

The assassin left. Waveskie returned to the normal position, and so did Irma. "I cannot. A mage cannot go by him or herself. They need an army—troops! Magic will not back them up—they cannot fight. A few blasts of energy will not help you against a thief. It's how things in Urak _are_."

Irma stared at Waveskie in disbelief. "Things in Urak aren't things you need to follow! Gather up an army—I'm also here! C'mon, Waveskie, don't be such a sore loser. Just because they are stronger doesn't mean they are better."

"They are alliances with the Grundmor. It's horrible being neutral and yet enemies with fire. Water cannot rely on anybody…we are alone."

Irma gawked at Waveskie.

"Come, we are traveling to Sprout tomorrow. You need to be prepared. It is already late. We need a full-night's sleep."

* * *

Ok, I know Irma is a little OoC, but I had to do it.

And for the x Fatal Fable x thing in the last chapter…I am writing this with my cousin. I am just putting the story on my account, so yeah. She is fairly new to so she's still trying to figure out the basics.

Yes, I know it short, but writer's block has filled my mind.

-Teenaged Assassin


	4. Fiery Rivalry

**Chapter 3: Fiery Rivalry**

Taranee don't know for how long she had been in the dark dungeon. When she waked up she had conjured a fireball to give her some light.

The floor, roof and walls were entirely made of large stone blocks, the farthest side was a wooden door -locked and barred. The cold floor was covered with straw and Taranee thought she had heard a muffled scraping.

'Rats!' She had thought disgustedly.

Her fireball went out at that point and she was once again drenched in darkness. Minutes felt like hours as time dragged on and the questions she had asked herself turned into rhetorical ones.

Hunger had also begun to gnaw at her stomach but she ignored the growing feeling and created fireballs. One after the other went out after a while, like oil lamps without enough fuel.

Finally the door opened as the last flame started to flicker. Light flooded in but Taranee only gaped at the odd figure standing in the doorway.

The woman wore a short-sleeved red coat, not even reaching her knees, a thick, leather black belt with a glowing orange ball as a buckle braced her waist. Knee-high black boots and pitch-black leggings covered the being's legs entirely and from where she stood, Taranee could make out that the woman's skin was fairly pale but blackened by soot and ashes.

But the thing that intrigued Taranee the most was the hair; they were the fieriest red with streaks of yellow, orange, white and black. It moved in a flowing, calm way and then wobbled, flickered and swaggered uncertainly as if they were the essence of fire itself.

Merciless eyes suddenly turned kind when she saw the fireball, which had stopped flickering and grew bigger in her presence.

"Not bad," she said with a surprisingly clear and smooth voice.

With a gloved hand she gestured for Taranee to follow her into the fire lit hallway beyond. Together they walked toward a door at the far-end of the stone tunnel.

"I apologize for you being locked up back there," she said, "you see, we thought you were a spy."

"It's alright," Taranee said, even though she was starving.

"I am known as Ardelle," she said, "and you?"

"Taranee."

A wave of heat engulfed the girl when Ardelle opened the door, but she gaped again when she saw the landscape.

The ground was covered in boiling lava -deadly fountains spurting out of fissures, layers of smoke concealed the blue sky and the stone of the buildings were charred and black. The crackling sound of fire consuming anything in its way filled her ears.

Instantly they were surrounded by a bunch of odd-looking characters: they informed Ardelle about provisions, weapons, armor, defensives and much more stuff which would be important if you're going to invade a place.

Three people waited until everybody else has dispersed. There was really short woman wearing a red and black mottled cloak that could easily blend into the molten landscape, in contrast a really tall man with red hair and a red beard stood holding a rolled up scroll. He wore black leather aprons -the kind blacksmiths wear -and fine red silk clothing beneath it with thick boots, a red-hot blazing sword was dangling from a scabbard.

The last person was a woman -medium in length -and wearing a black robe with decorative red patterns, patches of black dust covered her brown hair.

"Good day, Lady Ardelle," they all greeted and the short woman handed the only human in the company a slightly battered looking bread roll.

The Lord of Fire nodded in acknowledgement, "Taranee, this is Salvos, a Fire Sorceress," she said gesturing to the woman, "Litherane, fire warrior," gesturing to the man, "and Merna, dwarven thief."

They all gave the girl an angry look.

Seeing this Ardelle whispered in her ear, "Go and look around Cineraayt, you can come back when I show them the attack signals -they don't trust you, yet."

"Where is Cineraayt?"

"Here," she replied with an amused smile.

With that she took the scroll from the warrior and opened it, so Taranee chose one of the barely visible paths threading through the lava.

Everywhere people were getting ready for the attack -sharpening swords, polishing shields, grooming and tacking up horses, some heaved big bags of provisions while young boys paid undivided attention as their older brothers told them the ruthless code of the fire people.

Obscuring her way further along the path stood something hideous; the creature's skin was rocky and glowing warmly like simmering coals, horns twirled from its head with two yellow slits for eyes. Blackened hands held a whip tipped with steel to rip bits of flesh from his victims and a sword sharp enough to cut a single hair with one, lazy movement.

For a moment Taranee stood stock still by the sight of the thing, then decided to move around it in a wide arc. This meant walking on the lava but the rest of the crowd was actually _standing_ on it.

Before she could put her plan into action she heard a deep, rumbling voice, "Afraid of me, Fire Sorceress?"

"Yes," she answered nervously.

"I won't bite," it tried to say kindly, "Please, come closer."

Every instinct in the guardian's body said to… RUN! 'But why would he want to hurt me? We're on the same side here…' Once the thought grasp her mind, it wouldn't let go and she found herself obliging to the request.

When she stopped in front of him she asked respectively, "Forgive me for asking, but what are you?"

"I'm a demon," the creature said proudly. Apparently demons had fought alongside the fire lords for centuries.

"You are so young," he marveled, "but then again, Ardelle is young too."

"What's going to happen today?" she couldn't contain the curiosity bubbling inside her any more.

"We leave to attack the Amazons," the demon replied matter of factly.

"Why?"

"Because they follow water and we follow fire…do you see the rivalry? Lady Ardelle despises the Lord of Water more than any fire lord ever did."

"Because the Lord of Water follow water?"

"No, Lord Oceania is Ardelle's sister."

"Ardelle hates her own sister!" Taranee exclaimed in disbelieve, people with sisters often complain about how annoying they can be but surely they don't hate each other, do they?

"For betraying her."

"But how do they end up rulers of opposing faiths?"

"Let she tell you herself -I might leave out the crucial stuff."

The demon picked up a bow and quiver full of arrows, not decorated with patterns or jewels. The weapon was made to be used and for no other reason.

"Mages can't rely on magic alone to protect them," he said handing her the bow. Out of the quiver he pulled an arrow, it was made out of strong wood at the one end a deadly metal point waited to penetrate a target while on the other end two feathers was changing color each passing second.

"These arrows will always find a mark."

"Thanks," she thanked the creature and with the quiver and bow slung across her back she walked on again.

A shrub was burning next to the path, "Greetings Sorceress," it hissed.

"Hello…little shrub," she returned the greeting uncertainly.

"Not the plant!" the fire jumped over the bush and landed right in front of Taranee, "Me," it said.

"You talk!"

"Of course I talk," the fire snapped and crept closer to her. The flames licking at her skin, but it didn't burn.

"Such soft and supple skin…how easily the javelins would pierce it," the living fire crackled at the thought.

"That won't be a problem since I'm not going to fight!"

"You have no CHOICE!" The fire's size increased dramatically at these words.

"I think, I do," she said defiantly.

"But you have already accepted a weapon, are you going to pretend it to be an ornament?"

"The demon said I should use it for _pro-tec-tion_," this thing was starting to get on Taranee's nerves.

"Well, whether you like it or not -the armor at your feet is yours."

The human picked up the chain mail shirt; it glowed a warm reddish-gold and was made of some kind of a scale.

"Dragonscales, few people are able to see this scales, let alone wear them as an armor."

The unpleasant conversation was interrupted by a loud noise. Taranee turned around to see fireworks against the smoky sky.

"That's the signal our Lady will use when we can attack tomorrow," the Fire Elemental said.

"_You can come back when I show them the attack signals…"_

Without another word she turned around and ran back to where she started and arrived a few seconds after the fireworks was over.

"And _remember_," Ardelle was saying patiently, "once on the islands I want complete silence." She waved when she saw Taranee.

It made sense, since sound travel over water.

"Are our army strong enough?" the Fire Giant asked.

"Yes," she said breezily.

"You sure?"

His lord's eyes flashed dangerously, "Insolence," she screeched, "Do you not trust in the information Merna brought us? She is our best thief!"

"I never doubted for a moment," he said hastily.

"How will we get there by dawn tomorrow?" the thief asked.

To answer this great shadows fell across the landscape, glistening scales, dangling claws, long, pointy tails, bulky bodies, majestic wings beat the air as Lady Ardelle's transportation arrived.

"Still think we're not strong enough?" The Lord of Fire asked the warrior.

He could only stare, transfixed by the dragons as they landed on an open space, which was specially reserved for them.

"We strike at dawn," Ardelle yelled at all the troops who had come to get a glimpse of the dragons, "We shall incinerate Osh'n!"

To her great delight they all gave a deafening roar that trembled everything for a few seconds.

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Phew, between my sisters' (baby twins) screaming, my cat's annoyance with the bad weather and our neighbors making a huge racket I had a hard time finishing this chapter -anyway, hope it's okay.

x Fatal Fable x


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